Veronica E. Fries
Veronica E. Fries, 68, of Sioux City died Wednesday, Dec, 17, 1997,
at her residence following a brief illness.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church,
with the Rev. Robert J. Schimmer, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church,
and the Rev. Thomas Ward, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bellevue,
Neb., officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will
be from 2 to 9 p.m. today, with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m., a
vigil service at 7 p.m. followed by a rosary, at Meyer Brothers Colonial
Chapel.

Mrs. Fries was born Jan. 29, 1929, in Omaha, Neb., the daughter of Frank
X. and Isabella Rose (McGoldrick) Sweeney.

She married George Edward Fries on Sept. 21, 1946, in Omaha. He died
Nov. 16, 1988, in Sioux City. The couple moved to Sioux City from Omaha
in 1969.

She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Blue Army.

Survivors include four sons and their wives, Joseph and Sandy of Davenport,
Iowa, Frank and Carolyn of Tulsa, Okla., John "Jack" and Marsha of Urbandale,
Iowa and Ed and Jackie of Sioux City; four daughters, Mary Ann and her
husband Jeff Peck, Kathy and her husband Steve Petersen and Karen and her
husband Rob Beacom, all of Sioux City and Rose Mary Jansen of Schaller,
Iowa; two brothers and their wives, Patrick and Mary Ann Sweeney of Omaha
and Mick and Ginny Sweeney of West Point, Miss.; a sister and her husband,
Clare and Jerry Coufal of Omaha; 29 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, two sisters,
a grandson and a great-grandson.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons.

1987 photo

Etta Heeger
Etta Heeger, 96, of Sioux City died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 1997, at a
Sioux City nursing home.

Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Congregation Beth Shalom, with
spiritual leader James Sherman officiating. Burial will be in Mount Carmel
Cemetery. There will be no vistation. Nelson-Berger Northside Chapel is
in charge of the arrangements.

Mrs. Heeger was born April 27, 1901, in Russia, the daughter of Boruch
and Mochle (Grossman) Grossman. The family moved to the United States and
Omaha, Neb., when she was a child. She attended schools in Omaha and graduated
from Technical High School.

She married Lester Heeger on March 18, 1923, in Sioux City. He founded
Lester's Credit Jewelers in 1948; after his death on Jan. 8, 1951, she
continued to operate the store for five years. She was also employed at
Raymond's as a credit manager, retiring in 1971.

The couple were founding members of Shaare Zion Synagogue and became
members of Congregation Beth Shalom. She was a member of the Women's League
and Sisterhood, the Hudassah and the International Consumer Credit Association.

Survivors include a son and his wife, Jack and Heddy of Napa, Calif.;
a daughter, Maita Sadoff of Sioux City; six grandchildren, Michael, Lester
and Jerry Sadoff, Lloyd and Marshall Heeger and Laurie Averitt; 10 great-grandchildren;
and a brother, Arthur Grossman of Omaha.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Moe Grossman and a sister, Mollye
Borden.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons and a nephew, Jerry Borden.

Ralph J. Higgins
Ralph J. Higgins, 79, of Sioux City died Wednesday at a Sioux City
hospital.

Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Christy, Smith and Hockenberry
Funeral Home. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Vistiation will
be from 10 a.m. today until service time at the funeral home.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at United Church of Christ in Vermillion.
Burial will be in Bluff View Cemetery. Visitation will be 3 to 8 p.m. today,
with the family present from 7 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 8 p.m.,
at the Iverson-Siecke Funeral Home in Vermillion.

Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at United Church of Primghar.
Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. There will be no visitation.
Gaudian-Eldridge Funeral Home of Primghar is in charge of the arrangements.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural
Hinton, Iowa, with the Rev. Dr. Michael Boykin officiating. Burial will
be in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. today,
with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars,
Iowa.

Mrs. Kounkel-Peterson was born Jan. 1, 1914, in Center, Neb., the daughter
of William A. and Mollie (Phillips) Robinson. She was baptized and confirmed
in the Lutheran faith.

She married Roy Kounkel on April 10, 1935, in rural Hinton. He died
Feb. 27, 1967. She married Louis A. Peterson on June 4, 1975, in rural
Hinton. She was employed at St. Joseph Hospital in Sioux City for several
years.

She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, the Friendship Club, the
Lawton Garden Club and the Lawton Ladies Legion Auxiliary.

Survivors include three sons, Blaine Kounkel, John "Jack" and his wife
Connie Kounkel and Donald "Hap" and his wife Sandy Kounkel, all of Merrill,
Iowa; her husband; two stepdaughters, Karen and her husband Ernie Thompsen
of Cumberland, Iowa and Joyce Peterson of Kearney, Neb.; a stepson and
his wife, Dale and Connie Peterson of Lawton; a brother, Mike Robinson
of Hinton; 13 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren;
and four step-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, Keith Kounkel; a granddaughter,
Lori Kounkel; six brothers; and two sisters.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church in
Akron. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery at Creighton, Neb. Visitation
will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, with the family present from 6 to
7 p.m., at the Schroeder Funeral Home in Akron.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church
in Granville, with Monsignor Gerald F. Lyon and the Rev. Clem Currans officiating.
Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be after 4 p.m.
today, with a parish rosary at 5 p.m. and a vigil service at 7:30 p.m.,
at the church. Fisch Funeral Home of Remsen, Iowa is in charge of the arrangements.

Mr. Niichel was born March 24, 1914, in rural Granville, the son of
William and Anna (Thoma) Niichel. He was raised in the Granville area and
attended St. Joseph School. He was a farm laborer in the Granville area.

He married Olivia Langenhorst on Nov. 24, 1938, in Hospers, Iowa. The
couple farmed in the Ashton, Iowa area until 1952, when they moved to a
farm near Granville. They retired and moved into Granville in December
1976. She died July 1, 1997.

He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and a past member of the
Knights of Columbus.

Survivors include three daughters and their husbands, Phyllis and Daniel
Jungers and Maxine and Merlin Theis, all of Hospers and Donna and Ronald
Delperdang of Le Mars, Iowa; 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren;
three sisters, Emma Schnurr of Fulda, Minn., Margaret and her husband Vincent
Stallman of Hartley, Iowa and Rose Hoffman of Hospers; and a sister-in-law,
Marina Niichel of Granville.

He was preceded in death by a grandson, Andy Theis; four brothers, Joseph,
Henry, John and William Jr.; and two sisters, Anna Schwebach and Kate Schwebach.

Pallbearers will be Dean Christoffel, David and Randy Jungers, Jerry
Spearns and Kevin and Rick Theis.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Christian Reformed Church
in Hull, with the Rev. Carl Klompien officiating. Burial will be in Hope
Cemetery. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. today, with the family present
from 7 to 8 p.m., at the Oolman Funeral Home in Hull.

Mrs. Te Krony was born March 17, 1928, in rural Sanborn, Iowa, the daughter
of Tim and Johanna (Zonnefeld) Kroese. She was raised in Sanborn, where
she attended country school. She graduated from Hull Western Christian
High School.

She married James Te Krony on May 17, 1960, in rural Sanborn. The couple
made their home in Hull, where she was a homemaker. She was also employed
in various capacities.

She was a member of First Christian Reformed Church.

Survivors include her husband; two sons, Rodney and his wife Connie
of Hull and Keith of Hospers, Iowa; two grandsons, Ryan and David; and
a sister, Mildred Kroese of Sanborn.